244 SHOVELLER DUCK.
toe with a broad margin. Claws small, arched, compressed, acute-;
that of middle: too slightly dilated on the inner edge.
Plumage dénié, soft, and elastic j i ' f f the head and neck short,
blended, «ài splendent, Jif the occiput and,nape considèrably elongated:?
of the other paité: in general broad and rounded. Wings of moderate
length, acute : primaries narrow and tapering, the first longest, the
second very little shorter ; the secondaries broad, curved inwards ; the
¡nnêp'oloniïatel and tapering. Tail shorty rounded, of fourteen aeute
feather*, of which the two middle extend live twelfths of an inch beyond
the next;-,. • |
Bilí greyish-black tincrcd with yellow. Tris reddish-orange. Feet
vermilion ; claws1 dus%. Head and upper pull of neck, (loop- ¿mm
with purplish rolUfctions, the top of the head of a darker tint with lessi
nid glo»s. A longitudinal banil on the hind neck and the back,
' 'greyish-brown, 'the feathers edged with paler1; the rump and tipper
tail-coverts gr.eenish-black. Thè anterior scapulars white,: the posterior
elongated, light blue oil the outer web, longitudinally banded with
white and' greenish-black on the inner. Smaller wing-coverts light
Hue'; alula, primary coverts, and primary qtiflfeHackish-hrown, their
shafts white. Outer secondaries greyish-brown, eight of them esternally
of rich duck-greên ; thé inner greenish-blacky with a longitudinal'
wfâïi' teak ; the secondary coverts broadly tipped with white.
Tail-feathers 'gr%ish-br<íwí¡, irregularly variegated and margined with
reddish white, that colour enlarging ort'itho outer-feathers. ILower
part óf neck purtV'whito ; breast ami middle part of abdomen .lull
purplish-chestnut. A large patch of white on each side of the rump,
' With: a band of the stmu towards rbo tail; lower tail-coverts grecnishhïàbt;:
with bright grèen and bMr "Inflections ; axillaries Snd lower
wing-coverts puBn white.
Length # end of tail 20| inches, to end of Wings 19, to end of
claws 21i jHsi&a of Wings 311 : bili along the ridge 2,»¡ ; . -wing from
flexure ; tail 1\% ; tarsus 1A ; !fe« to» and claw ^ ; third toe
its toe fourth toc 1,0S, its claw fj. Weight 1 lb. 9 oz.
Female. Plate ( CCX.XV1I. Fig. 2.
Bill dull yellowish-green, iris paler than in the male ; feet as in the
male lint lighter,' The1 upper parts aré blackish-brown, ther-feathers
edged with light reddish-brown ; the throat and sides of the head are
SHOVELLER DUCK. 245
light reddish-brown, which is the p i l i n g colour o v e r the lower part
of the neck; a portion* of the breast: and the sides, .rf which however
the feather* axe margined with dusky; the middle; of the hreast white.
Smaller wing-coverts dull brownish-grey ;,alula and primaries^ mthe
«ale-; inner s e e o i t e s hrownish-htok; the speculum as in the male,
hut paler, and changing to blife.; the secondary coverts tapped with
Tyhite; tail nearly as'in the male*" 1 » , " •
Length to <md of tail 17 inches; fo end of claws 20,; bill along the
ridge S ^ S s t ont of wings 294. Weight 1 lb. 1 oz.
- • I bill of a male measures, 2 inches and 8 twelfths along the ridge,
the — • the breadth of the upper mandibje
at the base-is' 84 twelfths;, near the end 1 inch and 3 twelfths. 1 he
roof of the .mouth is broadlyund deeply .concave, with n prominent
median ridge,, which beMnes papillate towards the base; tji.- e.iges of
tho mandible soft, direct, infested towards the end; lamell® P ^ t >
ing beyond the. margins and tapering .to apomt. On each side of the
lower , mandible are: about 220 lamellae, and about 180 ou the upper. .
The ton-lie is 2J inches long, deeph en.urginato at the base, with numerous
papillae* for half an inch narrow and compressed,. thenfpr an
inch.expanded, with a thin longitudinal flap above on each sidfl divided
into l a m o l l * a n d minute bristles,,at its anterior part having a,breadth
Of 1 inch, and tarmi.ratmg abruptly, but with ,a median x«m
circular tip, which is 3 twelfths long.
' The (¡esophagus i> 8 inches and 10 twelfths )ong,4i twelfths in diameter,,
its walls thick. The proventriculus is oblong, 1 inch in length ;
;:its gW* e s of .moderate size.. The stomach is a strong gizzard of
moderate size ; the lateral muscles and their tendons. largo as in sll
other ducks. The intestine is very long, measuring 8 feet, ami very
narrow, its diameter, being from 2 twelfths to U.Uvnlfth, for, half its
length;, after which it enlarges to 3} twelfths at the distance of about
2 feet from the. commencement of the rectum, then gradually diminishes
to ¿twelfths. The rectum is 3 inches 2 twelfths long, the
ececa 4 inches, r their diameter far ineh11 twelfth, afterwards
twelfths.
The trachea is 6 inches twelfths long, very little flattened, its
• diameter at the upper part 3 | twelfths, gradually enlarging to 4 twelfths.
On the left side of the inferior, lapynx there is a rounded expansion of